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Star elf
Star elves, or mithral elves or Ruar-tel-quessir as they used to be known, like sun elves have only recently ventured back into Faerûnian life. Long ago they retreated to the demiplanar realm of Sildëyuir, where they are currently under attack by an extraplanar threat. As a result, some are now returning to the Yuirwood. Physical characteristics Star elves look a lot like moon elves, with light skin and hair of gold, red, or silver. They have violet or gray eyes with occasional gold flecks in them. They are tall for elves, being about 5 1/2 to 6 ft tall, and have a slender build. They like to wear elaborate tunics but in neutral tones, so as to better remain unseen in the forest. They are strikingly handsome by human standards, even more so than other elves. Psychology Aloof and cautious, star elves are unfamiliar with recent events in Faerûn and even other races. Isolated in the twilight realm of Sildëyuir, they had no contact with dwarves, gnomes, halflings, and even humans, and they liked it that way. It was the war-like and expansionistic humans that caused them to create the realm of Sildëyuir and flee their home in the first place. They generally get along with other elves, though they fear for the moon elves and half-elves of Aglarond whom they believe are overly generous and a touch naive. Perhaps not surprisingly, star elves as a race are generally chaotic in nature rather than lawful. They value individual accomplishment and rights over the demands of society. Yes, among Star Elves, necromancy would indeed still be considered taboo. However, I mean that "among" quite literally: it would be a no-no for a Star Elf to use vampiric touch or any other necromantic spell on ANOTHER STAR ELF, except in some rare instances where it was requested/commanded (i.e. dying father or mother insists one of their children, or a longtime family friend or other relative, take the last of their life-energy so as to do some task, or be in better shape to go on aiding the family, or something of the sort. When dealing with non-elves, all Star Elves would see nothing wrong with using necromancy (such as casting vampiric touch on clearly identified/known foes). Adventurers, such as your PC, would collectively have moved beyond this to the "do what you have to do" viewpoint, using vampiric touch or other necromancy on anybody if they deemed the need sufficient or the cause good enough. The "gray area" for non-adventurer Star Elves would be how Star Elves treat other (non-Star-Elf) elves; some would see them as fitting targets for necromancy, but most would not. In the case of beleaguered, long-isolated groups of Star Elves whose numbers are dwindling and who seem themselves under clear and imminent threat from the world around, certain Star Elf individuals might even redefine "fitting targets for necromancy" to include other Star Elves not of their own bloodline/clan/immediate family. So I'd say your adventurer is in the clear/greenlighted to use vampiric touch on known foes by all Star Elves so long as those foes aren't elves (and fellow Star Elf adventurers would tolerate/accept even elven targets if they have been acting as foes to your PC). As with all generalizations/stereotypes, this judgement of mine may fall down when applied to specific individuals (I could see some priests having great trouble with it, many elders having misgivings but not being hostile about it - - and on the other hand some loner "Aragorn types" and younger adventuring Star Elves having no trouble with it at all). History In -6950 DR star elves began to gather in the Yuirwood, where a number of green elves already lived. Shortly thereafter the star and green elf nation of Yuireshanyaar was formed in -6600 DR. They had over 5000 years of peace during that time, largely isolated from the other events occuring across Faerûn. Around -1250 DR the human nation of Unther expanded to the southern coast of Aglarond and battled Yuireshanyaar. The elves lost, and retreat back into the woods. Less than 200 years later the elves were assaulted by orcs during the Orcgate Wars. In -900 DR the elves begin to notice the rise of Narfell and Raumathar, and knowing that history repeats itself they forsaw disaster in the humans' misuse of magic. With the Untheric humans on their southern coast, orcs in the mountains due east, and two powerful and dangerous human nations to the north, the star elves decide that they needed to find a safer home. The elven high mages created a network of stone circles around the Yuirwood, which was then used to channel a spell that formed the demi-plane realm of Sildëyuir. Finally, in -699 DR the star elves completely abandoned Yuireshanyaar for Sildëyuir. Most of the green elves decided to remain behind. The star elves of the Yuirwood retreated to this plane and have stayed there until recently, forced out by alien sorcerers called Nilshais who corrupt their home with strange magic. Behind the scenes In the source book Unapproachable East where we have the first illustrations of this race they are drawn with a small light source attached to their heads. This lightsource is never mentioned in the text, not even in the description of the star elves. Since it does not hover, but is attached to a headband they are wearing, one can only assume that it is a common item the star elves wear in their twilight realm of Sildëyuir. Category:Star elves